Footprints in the Sands of Time

One of ten children born in 1924 in a little Dutch town close to the German border Hank OpdenDries grew up in a world surrounded by farms and wooded hills a life much in contrast to the fast-paced world we understand where the simple appearance of a car would be met with fascination by an entire village; the most common mode of transport at that time being the horse.As the hungry thirties set in rumors of war precipitated by Hitler’s Germany threatened to turn Hank’s world upside down. When the invasion came his world was transformed forever. Witnessing firsthand the German invasion of his homeland Hank soon found himself along with many other able-bodied Dutchmen forced to work in the Ruhr to help the German war effort.Escaping back to the Netherlands Hank went underground with a number of his friends remaining in occupied Holland for the duration of the war. Helping to shelter a down British airman (who eventually escaped using the Dutch rail network while still dressed in his RAF uniform) Hank also saw Hitler’s infamous V-2 rockets take flight along with the Nazi’s sadistic treatment of Holland’s Jewish population.Liberated from German occupation by Canadian soldiers in 1945 three years later Hank found himself starting a new life as an immigrant to Canada.Vividly retold Hank’s story is one of survival and resistance in a time of unprecedented violence and treachery. His story is about not only tragedy but also heroism. In short it is the story of Holland in the Second World War and one man’s determination to build a new life for himself in the country that gave him his freedom.